Zat's My Girl
by RedLion2
Summary: Five years after her high school graduation, Katherine Pryde comes face-to-face with a special someone from her past. Kurtty, of course.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own the X-Men – Marvel Comics does. I'm just tinkering a little bit – no harm, no foul.

It's been a long time since I've forayed into the land of the X-Men, but I've been thinking of Kitty and Kurt for a while now, and just wanted to write a little something. Here goes.

ZAT'S MY GIRL

Katherine Pryde walked along the sidewalk toward the building where her apartment was located, a serene look on her pretty face. Her chestnut hair was loose today, and the ends whipped in the late October breeze. She pulled her keys from her right jacket pocket and walked up the steps, nodding to Jerry, the old guy who lived in Apartment C and fancied himself the doorman. He grinned and nodded back, and she walked in, stopping by the wall of mailboxes. Opening hers, a grin flashed across her face when she saw the name "Rogue" on a letter, and immediately she jammed the other letters into her backpack before shutting the mail door and bolting up the stairs.

She lived on the top floor all alone, her apartment clear at the end of the long hallway. It suited her perfectly, being alone up here. She found she liked the quiet, the largeness of the space that was solely hers, and the beautiful view from the window seat by the big bowed window that overlooked the campus town she'd ended up in. Here, she was simply Katherine Pryde. Not Kitty, Katya, Shadowcat, or…A tiny frown touched her mouth as she opened her apartment door and stepped inside. She quickly shut it behind her and bolted and latched it before dropping her backpack to the floor and pulling her jacket off.

Walking over the bare wooden floor to the window seat, she sat down and ripped Rogue's letter open, eager for any news from her best friend. She scanned the letter quickly, disappointed that it was short, but glad that her friend had taken time to actually _write_ to her. Rogue emailed her on occasion, and texted sometimes, but Katherine loved it when she wrote letters. Of course, Rogue still insisted on calling her "Kitty," even though she hadn't gone by that in five years, not since she'd graduated from Bayville High and decided she wanted to try out a new life that didn't involve the X-Men or missions or…_him._ Giving her head a short shake, as if to dislodge any thoughts of him, she folded the letter and shoved it back into the envelope. Rogue was doing well; she was still going on missions, still dating Remy (though it honestly sounded like they fought more often than not), and still living at the mansion.

_Well, good for her. I'm glad she's happy._ Katherine stretched and got up. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that breakfast, a granola bar, had been thirteen hours ago. _Forgot to eat again,_ she mused as she set the letter down on the window cushion and walked over to the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, she grimaced. _Ugh. Well, I'm not eating anything from this tonight._ She knew her cupboards were bare, and she had no energy left to go out and physically find food. _Ice cream it is, I guess._ She pulled the ice cream out of the freezer, opened it, and sighed. _Guess I went a little too hard-core on it last night,_ she thought. Her stomach rumbled again, and she rubbed a hand over it, sighing.

Deciding that something from the corner deli would suffice for one night, she headed back out. A fine rain was falling, and she pulled her hood up over her head, hunching her shoulders against the cold. As she walked, the feeling that someone was watching her made her shudder, and she glanced back, over her shoulder. There were a few guys walking behind her, but they were teenagers, and clearly not paying her any attention. _Hmm, weird._ Shrugging it off, she continued on into the deli, where she ordered a veggie sub and grabbed a half-gallon of milk from the cooler. Ten minutes later, and still not feeling settled, she walked back toward her apartment.

She heard the close footsteps behind her seconds before she swung around, ready to strike. A familiar, if older-looking, visage came into her line of sight, and she gasped, stumbling backwards. He reached out immediately and grabbed her hand, steadying her, but she was in too much shock to respond. He smiled and let go of her, jamming his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Hello, Katzchen," he said. His accent was slighter, more Americanized now, and she swallowed hard. "How are you?"

"I-I'm good," she said, trying not to show how rattled she was with his sudden appearance. She'd never expected him to be here.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he said.

"It's okay. I just, um, never expected you to be here," she said. Her voice was regaining some of its normal confidence, for which she was grateful. She'd told herself it was better if they didn't see each other, that they'd both chosen separate paths, and that was for the best. But now, seeing him…_but this isn't really seeing _him_, is it?_ "Come with me," she said and turned around, knowing he would follow her. After all this time, she still knew that with absolute certainty.

They walked in comfortable silence back to her apartment, and it was nice having him at her side again. She hadn't realized how much she'd missed him, missed this quiet time together. He unlocked the door for her and stood aside so she could enter first, and she was happy to see he hadn't lost any of his gentlemanly qualities that had always endeared him to her. Setting her food down, she took her coat off, reached for his arm, and hit the switch on the holowatch.

Immediately his human face faced away and was replaced by his fuzzy blue self, and she smiled and met his eyes. "There you are," she murmured, and when he opened his arms to her, she threw herself into them with all the wild abandonment she could muster. He picked her up and swung her around, hugging her tightly.

"Ah, Kitty, I've missed you so much," he said, finally setting her down but keeping his arms around her. "You look amazing."

"So do you, Kurt." She looked him over, taking in the sharper planes of his face, the shorter hair, the high-octane grin that showed true happiness. "But why are you here? I thought you were over in London."

"Ja, I was. But I'm home now, for a little while, and well, I wanted to see you," he said. His voice was soft, as was the trace of his accent, and she smiled.

"Your accent. What happened to it?" she asked. She stepped back and he let go of her, instead catching her hand in his and holding it.

"Ah, you miss it," he said, smirking. "Well, traveling like I've been, it just…faded, I guess," he said. "I hear new ones all the time, but since I spent so much time in the States, that's the one that's stuck."

"I see." She gave his hand a squeeze, instantly rewarded with a squeeze of his own. "I missed you," she whispered, as if admitting it wasn't good.

The humor fled from his face and eyes. "I missed you, too. All the time. I thought it would get better, but…" He shrugged. "Here I am."

"Here you are." She was happy to see him, but where did they go from here? It wasn't like they were giving up their new lives just for a glimpse of the old one. They'd left that one behind years ago when they'd graduated high school. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate before stopping by," he said. He nodded toward the bag from the deli. "Looks like you don't have much to offer, anyway."

She blushed. "Um, no, not really. I always mean to get groceries, but by the time I get done with classes, I'm usually pretty wiped out." She made a helpless gesture. "Thus, I have to depend on the deli most nights."

"I see." He looked around the apartment. "Nice place." His eyes came back to hers. "You live alone?"

"I do." She felt her cheeks warm again under his direct scrutiny, and added, "I thought about getting a roommate, but to be honest, it's nice having the place to myself." It was helpful for when she wanted quiet for studying, or wanted to sleep late, or…wanted to phase, just for old times' sake. "How long are you in town?"

"Not long. Professor Xavier has another symposium he'd like me to attend, in Amsterdam," he said. He almost seemed poised to say more, but whatever it was died on his tongue.

Katherine nodded. "I'm glad you stopped by. I've really missed you, you know."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You could, I don't know, come with me," he said. His eyes, golden and soft, radiated warmth.

"We both know I can't. I have my life here now. I really am enjoying college," she said. And she meant it. Yet, thinking about traveling with Kurt, doing something good for Xavier's school, tempted her. She gave herself a mental shake. It wasn't like she and Kurt would ever be together again, not the way they'd been as teenagers.

"I know. Rogue has told me as much." But something in his tone made her think he didn't believe her. "And I'm glad you're happy, Katzchen. Really, I am."

"But?"

"We were a good team, you and I," he said softly. "We could be again."

She pulled her hand from his and walked away from him. She shouldn't let him affect her like this. She hadn't wanted what he had, to be tied to the school, to the man who'd given them a chance to refine their abilities.

"Kitty, I didn't come here to make you uncomfortable," he said. "I really did just want to see you. It's been a long time, too long."

"It has been," she said, nodding. She turned back to him. "And I miss you, Kurt. So much it hurts sometimes. But we both decided we wanted different things. I didn't want to be Shadowcat anymore. I didn't want that life."

"But now?" he asked, taking a step toward her. His eyes seemed to assess her. "You don't have to be Shadowcat, no more than I have to be Nightcrawler when I don't want to. That doesn't have to be a part of it. Xavier just needs people to travel, to talk to others like us, to try and figure out how our kind safely fits into this world." He reached for her hand again, and she let him take it. The feel of his fur against her skin was heavenly.

"I'm halfway through my studies here. It would be stupid to quit," she said. Her voice was quiet, and she wondered just who she was trying to convince. He tilted his head to the side.

"You can always finish them later." He reached up and gently touched her cheek, and she would've sworn that she purred. "What are you really worried about?"

She bit her lip and tried to look away from him, but he took hold of her chin, gently, and lifted it so he could see her eyes. "I've invested so much of myself into this life," she whispered, "that I'm afraid to leave it. What if I find out I should've stayed with Xavier? That I should've stayed with _you_? The life I've built here would be nothing but a waste, Kurt. And I'd hate that."

"Nothing you've done here is a waste," he said. His voice was firm. "You've grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman, just like I knew you would. You've learned a lot, been on your own, found out you could do anything you wanted to. You don't have to regret any of this."

She wanted, badly, to believe him. But would going back to New York with him, back to the school, show that she'd been wrong? That with her special abilities, she never should've left?

"Katzchen." She looked up at Kurt's soft voice, and he smiled at her. "Don't overthink this, all right? If you're happy here, you don't need to leave. I really did just come to see you." He leaned down and pressed his soft lips to her cheek, and she wondered if she'd quit breathing. "I should be on my way, I think."

"Why? Do you really have to leave for Amsterdam now?" she asked. A sense of panic overtook her at the thought of him leaving her again so soon, so suddenly. She'd expected he'd stay at least overnight.

He grinned at her. "Missing me already, then?"

She knew he was teasing her, but the threat of tears in her eyes kept her from appreciating his humor. "I always miss you," she whispered. She searched his eyes, not knowing exactly what she was seeking.

"Hey, none of that," he said, frowning. He reached to wipe away a single tear that welled in the corner of her right eye. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Liebchen," he whispered.

"I know. I didn't mean to cry," she said. She hastily wiped at her eyes. "I guess seeing you has shaken me more than I'd thought."

He smiled. "Vell, I'm glad to hear _zat_," he said, falling back into his heavy German accent and making her giggle. "Zhere. Zat's my girl." And he reached around her and tugged in tight to his chest, a chest hard with smooth muscle. She buried her face into it and wished she didn't ever have to tell him goodbye again.

But the sad reality was that she couldn't go with him. She knew, no matter what he told her, that she would regret it. She was one year away from graduation, and then she'd be free to follow whatever pursuit captured her interest next. With difficulty, she pulled back out of his arms, and he let her go. His eyes dimmed a little when she met them, and she knew he knew.

"You'll come visit me again, right? And stay longer?" she asked, clutching his left hand within both of hers.

He nodded, solemn. "I promise, Katzchen. I'll be in Amsterdam for a week, and then off to Australia for a meeting there. But as soon as I can, I'll be back," he told her, his voice firm. "I'm sorry it took so long this time to come see you, but I wasn't sure if you'd want me to."

She bit her lip. "To be honest, I don't know. I know I wanted a clean break from everything, but I regret not keeping in touch with you." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell. "What's your number?"

He gave it to her and also programmed hers into the special phone Dr. Hank McCoy had made just for him. "I should be back in the States inside of a month. I'll call you," he told her and pulled her close for one more tight hug. "I love you, Kitty," he breathed, and all she could do was focus on not crying.

"I love you too," she whispered. Her voice wavered, but she didn't cry. He would come back to her, just like he'd said he would.

He was the one to step back this time. He kissed her forehead and smiled. "I'll see you soon. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You, too. Be careful travelling." She walked him to the door and he tapped his image inducer before crossing over the threshold. Giving her another million-dollar smile, he walked down the hall and she closed the door before slowly sinking to the floor and leaning back against it.

This was the right decision – she knew it was, but letting him go was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. She sighed and got back to her feet. Her elf would come back to her, and maybe in a year, she'd be ready for another X-Men adventure with him. For now, though, this was her chosen life, and it was a good one. She forced herself to smile and headed to the table for the forgotten food from a half-hour ago, Kurt's words running through her mind: _zat's my girl._


	2. Scene Two

_I don't own the X-Men.  
><em>

_So I had quite a bit of interest in "Zat's My Girl," and requests to continue it. Instead of doing it as a story, though, I'm going to do it as a series of one-shots, which will make it easier for me to update. Enjoy. Kurtty forever!_

**ZAT'S MY GIRL**

**SCENE TWO**

The arena was packed with people. Kurt Wagner made his way to an empty seat, his dark eyes on the stage at the head of the arena. Sitting down, he flipped through the program until he found Katherine Pryde's name, and grinned. He had been looking forward to this day for the last year, and knew the young woman graduating college had been, too. Maybe more than he had, though he doubted it. He was hoping she would decide to take time off and do some traveling with him.

He squinted down at the people sitting in folding chairs down on the floor of the arena, hoping to spot her. Ah yes, there she was. He couldn't help the pride that flushed through him. She had stuck to her guns this past year, telling him that she had to graduate, that she wouldn't be happy with herself if she left college early just to travel. _And now here she is, ready to walk across that stage with high honors._

The program started ten minutes later, and he found himself not listening to anything the speakers had to say. His eyes rested on Kitty. She was very still in her chair, leaning forward just a little, eager to hear what was being said. A small smile played across his lips. He wondered if she even realized how tantalizing she was, how he craved her attention even now at the age of twenty-five. They'd managed to get together a few times over the past year, fitting in dinner dates between their two busy schedules, but he wanted more than that. He wanted _her._

When the time came for her to cross the stage, he stood and clapped and cheered and whistled, and saw her glance upward. Her parents were here somewhere; he could hear them, too. Of course they were proud of her. They wanted her to have a nice normal life. Normal, which didn't include him or the Xavier Institute. Well, Kitty was an intelligent young woman. She could decide for herself what she wanted.

When the ceremony was over and the graduates had been released, he waited until she'd had her time with her family. He had waited a whole year – he could wait a little longer. She radiated happiness and excitement, and he knew she could do anything she wanted with her life. She had gotten a degree in psychology; she'd told him she wanted to help other people with their inner turmoil and life problems. He'd reminded her that Charles would be happy to have her work at his school.

And he wanted her there, too. Even if she didn't want to travel as an ambassador for Charles, it would be great to have her at the school, knowing he could pop in whenever he wanted to see her. He knew he could've done that over the last year, too, but hadn't wanted to disrupt her final year of studying. But now, she was done. He could see her whenever he had the urge, which seemed to be all the time as of late.

"Hi."

He started, realizing she had made her way over to him. He grinned down at her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hi," he breathed, pulling her in tight to his chest. She snuggled against him, and he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "It's official. You're a college graduate."

She giggled and pulled back after a moment. "I am," she said. She reached up and touched his cheek, and he pushed against her hand, knowing how much she liked it when he did that. "Thank you for coming," she said. Her voice was soft, as were her blue eyes.

"Ja, of course," he said. "So what now?"

She frowned. "Well, I mean, I don't know. I think I need some time to think about all my options, you know, and to—"

"Katzchen, I meant right now," he interrupted with a smile. "Are you hungry?"

"Oh." She smiled again. "Yes, starving."

"Are you going out with your parents?"

"No, not now. We're getting together tomorrow for lunch." She put one hand on his chest. "I'm all yours today, Fuzzy."

The happiness that shot through him at her words would keep him warm for a week. "Okay then. Come on." He held his arm out to her, and she looped hers through it. They walked out of the massive building and into the bright sunlight, and he led her over to a cute little German roadster. Opening the door for her, he ushered her inside and closed the door before getting in on the other side.

"Nice ride," she said. "New?"

"Ja." He started the car. It had a good rumble to it. Checking his mirror, he pulled into traffic. They made their way down the street and Kitty pointed out a little café. He parked the car and hurried around to open her door.

"Thank you," she said, blushing.

"You're welcome, liebling." He took her hand and helped her out of the low car, and she hugged him, snuggling close for a moment before pulling away when her stomach growled. He flashed a grin at her. "Come along," he said. They walked across the street and went inside. A waitress showed them to a table on the back deck, and he held her chair for her. He knew she liked his attention, the way he always treated her like a gentleman should. His good manners had been instilled long ago, and he had never forgotten them. She deserved to be treated like a princess.

Once they ordered, they both seemed to relax a little. He watched her, content just to sit here with her. She sipped from her water glass, glancing around, and he wondered if she was nervous now that her life was again wide open in front of her. She liked to have things planned out, liked them neat and in order. He reached out and took hold of her hand, and she jumped.

"Sorry," she murmured, and gave him a warm smile. "I'm so glad you're here," she said. "I missed you this last month."

"I know, I missed you too," he said. "But I didn't want to distract you, and I was out in California for most of the month."

"How did that go?"

His lips twisted into a slight frown. "Not as well as we'd hoped." Though mutants were becoming more accepted into the mainstream, there were still plenty of people who didn't want them living in the open.

She looked down, a grimace crossing her face. He squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry," she said, looking at him. "It must be hard, trying to convince all these people that we're safe, that we can be trusted."

"It is." He nodded. There was no sense sugar-coating it for her, and she probably knew, anyway. She'd lived on a college campus for six years. "How have you been?" He didn't want to talk about the problems facing their kind. He wanted to talk about her.

"I'm good. I'm glad I'm done." She sipped her water. "It was a hard last year, but worth it."

He stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt her thoughts. She gave him a small smile, and he smiled back. The waitress brought their orders, and they were silent for the next five minutes, eating and enjoying being together. He could see the truth of that in her eyes every time she glanced at him. They'd always been good together, ever since she'd first gotten over her fright at his unusual appearance. He breathed a quiet sigh. He spent most of his time now looking like a human, thanks to the holowatch he'd been given by Charles. They had made upgrades to it, and now even his fur was disguised. If anyone were to brush up against him, they would only feel human skin. Kitty hadn't liked that, but it kept him safer.

She tapped his arm. "Hey, anyone in there?" she teased.

"I'm sorry, liebchen," he said, smiling. "What did you say?"

She didn't say anything right away, just tipped her head, studying him. "Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet. Everything going all right at the Institute?"

"It's fine," he said.

"Liar." She frowned. "I can see through that grin. Tell me the truth."

He pushed his plate away. "Remember, you asked," he warned. She nodded, a serious glint in her eyes. "Attendance is high. Higher than it has been for several years."

"But that's a good thing, right?"

"Not if you don't have the space," he said, shaking his head. "The staff is overwhelmed. Jean and Scott have taken on more classes, and even Rogue is teaching now. I don't have to tell you how _that's_ going." He chuckled.

"I can imagine," she said, smiling. "She told me she's not really comfortable with it."

"She's not, but Charles can use all the help he can get." He paused, watched as slow realization sprung across her eyes.

"I don't know about that yet," she said, her voice low. "I just graduated, and I don't know what's next. I did get a couple of job offers."

"Good for you," he said, quick to smile. "I'm just saying that it can be an option, if you wanted it to be. Everyone would love to have you come back."

"I know." She bit her lip and turned her head away, and he didn't push her. There were still a lot of tangled-up emotions inside her concerning the Institute, and the last thing she needed was pressure from him. A lot of those emotions revolved around him. She looked back at him, and he saw the trepidation in her eyes. "It's not that I don't want to go back, but it would be different now. And I didn't leave on the best of terms, either."

"That was six years ago," he pointed out. "A lot has changed since then. Everyone has grown up."

She made a face at him. "Let's hope so." She sighed. "And it's not like you're there a lot, right? I mean, you travel all the time."

He leaned toward her, reached to touch her cheek. "Yes, but you know you can come with me. I told you before that Charles needs ambassadors. He's hurting for them. He's even got Logan going out now."

Her pretty eyes widened. "I didn't know it was that bad."

"It is," he said, his voice solemn. "And you know how Logan hates people."

She laughed. "He doesn't hate them, exactly. They just annoy him."

"Hate, annoyance, whatever." He chuckled. "I'm just saying that you would be a great addition to our team, engel." The pet name made her eyes sparkle, and he grinned. He loved using German terms of endearment on her. "You could try it. I'm leaving for the UK in a couple of weeks. I'd love to have you come along."

Her smiled faded. "What if it turns out I'm not any good at it?"

"You? Are you serious?" He let a small grin play across his face. "Liebchen, you are good with people. You're tactful, polite, and you don't let your emotions get the best of you. Besides, if Herr Logan is out doing it, I think you could handle it." He touched her arm. "And you'd have me with you."

She took his hand in both of hers, and a frown crossed her face. "I miss your fur," she said, her voice low. "Come on." She got to her feet, and he followed suit. He paid the check, and walked her back outside to the car. Once they got going, she said, "You want to come back to my place?"

He flashed a grin at her. "How can I say no to that?"

She blushed red and he laughed, the sound booming out of his strong chest. He parked at the curb outside her apartment building, and they hurried up to her place. As soon as he shut the door behind him, she hit the button on the holowatch and his human visage flickered away, revealing his true blue nature. She hugged him and he held her close, rubbing her back with one big three-fingered hand.

"I've missed you so much," she breathed against his chest, and he dropped a kiss on the top of her wavy brown hair.

"I've missed you, mein liebling," he whispered. He could feel her heart hammering against his own, and he tipped her chin up so he could see her eyes. There was such longing in them that his breath failed in his chest, and he gently brought his mouth to hers. The feeling was instant euphoria; it had been six years ago that he'd last tasted her lips, and now he couldn't drink her in fast enough. She moaned against his mouth, almost a mewling sound, and he growled and kissed her deeper. She pressed harder against him, and his breathing hitched. He pulled way, sucking in air, and she gasped, leaning against him, her head on his chest.

"Kurt," she murmured, and in that one word, in his name, he heard all the emotions she'd tucked away that day she'd left the Institute, the day she'd broken his heart. She hadn't meant to, and he had known that, but it had still stung. There was love in his name, and hope. And he couldn't ask her for anything else.

"Ja, Katzchen?" He kissed the top of her head again.

She pulled her head back and met his golden eyes. "Will you take me to the UK with you?"

He grinned, and said, "Yes." She smiled and buried her face in his chest, and he laughed, holding her close to him. "We make a pretty good team, liebchen."

"We do, Fuzzy," she said, nodding. And then she pulled his head down to hers again, and kissed him.


End file.
